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| Statistics: |
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Start: |
Travellers Rest pub at side of A591 |
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Start (OS ref): |
NY336088 |
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Map (1:25,000):
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OL5 The English Lakes North East area OL7 The English Lakes South East area |
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Parking: |
Grass verges on A591 or side roads |
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Distance: |
9.8 miles (15.8 km) |
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Time: |
5 hours |
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Difficulty: |
Very Hard |
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Climbing: |
1,258 metres |
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Hazards: |
Steep ascents and descents |
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Refreshments:
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Grasmere |
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Summary: This walk is a nice warm up to a spell of fell walking in the Lake District as it involves a steady climb from Mill Bridge on the A591 to Grisedale Tarn and then a steep push up to the summit of Fairfield. From here on its a gentle walk at height to Great Rigg and Heron Point enjoying beautiful views all around until descending to the outskirts of Rydal. Then follow a bridleway to Town End before bracing yourself for another steep climb to Grey Crag and Butter Crag before descending and then ambling back to your starting point near the Travellers Rest pub. You could call in at the pub for a well earned beverage. After all you will certainly have deserved it! |
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| Prologue: This was the first walk we did on my stag weekend in Keswick during the first weekend of July 2003. accompanying me on this walk was Dave, Deke and Ally, the only girl on a stag weekend with 15 men! She did go home after one night and two walks though to leave all the serious drinking to the boys. The walk to Fairfield was familiar to me as I did it, with Deke during my 1999 Coast to Coast walk but the walk from there to Great Rigg and Heron Pike was new. I was thrilled as we arrived at the Lakes for two reasons, one of them obviously being the drinking sessions with all my friends prior to my wedding in two weeks time. Getting them all together was a first and it proved to be fantastic. The other reason was the walking in the Lakes, equal with the Dales as my best walking places, and so much better than the walking in East Yorkshire where I had been living for the past three years. Still, not just the wedding to look forward too, but then honeymoon and the move back to Leeds within easy reach of my fave walking spots again. |
The Story of the Walk:
Living in Beverley had not inspired me to do lots of walking on a regular basis and even though I had done the Wolds Way and the Dales Way this year, I had not kept very active in between, and it showed. I was absolutely knackered as we climbed from our start point at the popular Mill Bridge lay-by up Great Tongue to Hause Gap and Grisedale Tarn. I was so poor it was embarrassing but I kept going and by Grisedale I was feeling a little better. Good job Deke wasn't in a hurry either as Dave and Ally drove on up the steep ascent of Fairfield from the tarn with Deke and I ambling steadily up just behind them. I was finding form as we reached the top of Fairfield to enjoy the tremendous views from its summit as you can see such a lot from Morecambe Bay and the Solway Firth to the west and numerous Lakeland peaks all around. It is a great place on top of Fairfield so take in the views while you are here, stay a while.
The walk from Fairfield to Great Rigg is superb. The ground is lovely and springy underfoot without giving way and the views are spectacular as Lake Windermere comes into your view by looking to your left. While we were here, in glorious sunshine there was also a line of cloud clinging to the tops of the south western fells, a ribbon of cloud that never seemed to move all the time we were up on the fell tops, and yet we remained in unbroken sunshine, topping up the tans on our weathered brows! the descent from Fairfield via Great Rigg to Heron Pike is gradual making it a lovely descent and it is only as you begin to drop off Heron Pike with Rydal Water coming into view that the drop down becomes harder. Nab Scar is a bugger of a descent, short but steep where you need to apply the brakes fully. Once down the walk takes you undulating along a bridleway from Hart Head Farm to Town End before embarking on another steep climb To Grey Crag and Butter Crag. There follows a second steep descent of the walk to a side road which leads back to the A591. All that remains is a short walk along the main road back to the starting point, a small price to pay for such an exhilarating walk. We stopped of at the Travellers Rest pub for a very welcome drink. |
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